


Sins of the Flesh

by GabeWallis



Category: Original Work
Genre: Consensual Underage Sex, Frotting, Gay, M/M, Male Slash, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Religious Themes, Romance, Slice of Life, Unrequited Crush, anti-Christianity, church
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:14:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27800608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GabeWallis/pseuds/GabeWallis
Summary: At thirteen, Isaac Carter is just starting to realize he's not like the other boys in his school. Balancing his attraction to his best friend with his parents' religion is difficult, but he's managing... until a new boy joins the soccer team and Isaac finds himself forced to confront his burgeoning sexuality.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 7
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is adapted from an old work I found while checking an old hard drive. I've polished it up and continued it, because it means a lot to me. It's a little more romantic than the stuff I normally write, but it's been a nice change. I hope everyone enjoys!

_**BUZZ. BUZZ. BUZZ.**_  
  
Isaac grunted and rolled over, burying his head under the pillow. He'd been having such a good dream. It had been about Oliver, the captain of the soccer team and Isaac's best friend. Oliver had been almost naked in a bed and beckoning Isaac towards him, one thick eyebrow raised seductively.  
  
_**BUZZ. BUZZ. BUZZ.**_  
  
This was far too early to wake up on a Saturday. Isaac grunted and reached up, muting his alarm without looking at it. His dick was hard now. At thirteen, all of Isaac's friends' dicks were getting big and hairy. Isaac's, not so much: it currently stood at three and a half inches, without a speck of hair. In fact, the entirety of Isaac's tanned body was hairless, with the exception of his head, which was topped with a mop of unruly brown hair.  
  
He pulled the pillow down further over his head, trying to smother himself in it. He didn't want to face practice today. As much as he liked Oliver, his feelings were a little off. Like Pastor Michael – the youth pastor at Isaac's church – always said, you should avoid that which makes you sin. And Oliver _definitely_ made Isaac sin. Even as he lay there, he pressed his sinful little boner against the bedsheets through his boxers, a low moan escaping his slightly-parted lips. This was wrong. Isaac didn't care: all he could think about right now was Oliver. His dark, piercing eyes. The little patch of hair that went down his tummy and disappeared at his waistband. The bulge in his shorts, which Isaac would love to caress... Faster and faster, he humped the bed, his moans turning to grunts as he got closer and closer to orgasm. He could feel it starting in his balls, and then-  
  
“ISAAC CARTER!”  
  
Isaac twisted around in shock to look at the door. The pillow fell sideways off his head, leaving him staring straight at his mother, his muscular butt pointing up. Her face was white as a sheet, her eyes staring straight at the wet patch Isaac was now lying in. He gulped and looked away, wishing the bed would open up and swallow him.  
  
“Isaac...” she said again, sounding exasperated this time. She cleared her throat a few times and then took a deep breath. “Uh... it's time for soccer,” she finished lamely, clearly not sure what to say. “You'll be hearing from your father about this.” With that, she turned and left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.  
  
The horny teenager pulled himself out of bed, face burning. He pulled at his tight black boxer-briefs, which had ridden up between his buttocks while he'd been masturbating. Making a face, he pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a plain black t-shirt before gathering up his sports supplies. Soccer practice was starting in half an hour, and he would get to see Oliver. Isaac's dick, still damp from just having cum, was already back at half-mast. He reached a hand down to play with it, but then thought better of it: the door was open, and his dad could be up at any minute to talk with him about what happened.  
  
Isaac bit his lip at this thought: his parents had never brought up the topic before, but his youth pastor had sat all the boys down and had a very frank discussion about the 'sins of the flesh.' He knew he was supposed to cut all contact with anyone that made him sin, but Oliver was his best friend. And fuck, he was so sexy!  
  
Once he was dressed and had all his soccer gear ready, Isaac went downstairs for a quick breakfast. He wolfed down his cornflakes as fast as he could, wanting to avoid any awkward conversations with his father. Five minutes later, he was out of the door and on the way to soccer practice.  
  
Isaac's feet dragged a little as he walked to practice, eyes glued to the floor. He definitely wasn't looking forward to getting home. His dad was a terrifying man, all threats and muscles. Isaac was sure to get the belt. That wasn't the worst of it: he'd let God down, too. Biting his lip, Isaac resolved not to touch himself there any more. Maybe if he kept his hands out of his pants these feelings for Oliver would go away, too.  
  
The rest of the twenty-minute walk to practice passed without incident. Isaac walked slowly so as not to arrive too early – and also because he couldn't stop thinking about what he'd done that morning. Oliver was so sexy, and thinking about him made Isaac feel so good... it had to be wrong. The guilt was gnawing away at him, not just for that morning but for all the looks he'd stolen, all those sweaty post-game hugs that had kept Isaac awake convulsing into his pillow.  
  
“Hey, man, cheer up!”  
  
Isaac jumped as someone slapped his back, snapping him back to reality. “Oliver, hey!” he said, putting on a grin and pulling his friend into a hug.  
  
“How's it going, man?” said Oliver, his thick black hair curling down close to his eyes.  
  
“Good! How about you?” lied Isaac. Though now he was with Oliver, things weren't so bad.  
  
“Can't complain, can't complain.” Oliver gave him another pat on the back and then pulled away, an expression of mock disgust on his face. “Now get off me! You think I'm some kinda faggot or something?”  
  
Isaac did his best to laugh along, but his almost-good mood started to fade.  
  
Oliver narrowed his eyes, sensing Isaac's discomfort. “You're... you're not a faggot, right?” Before Isaac had time to think of a response, Oliver burst out laughing, resting a hand on Isaac's upper arm. “Dude, I'm kidding, lighten up!”  
  
Isaac gave his best impression of a smile, but was rescued by the coach showing up along with the rest of the team.  
  
“Morning, ladies!” came the coach's booming voice. “We've got a new recruit joining us. Say hello to James!”  
  
Isaac looked up at the coach. Hiding behind the muscular, balding man was a boy of about twelve. A firey orange mop of hair stopped just short of pale blue eyes that made Isaac's heart skip a beat. The new boy was beautiful.  
  
“Hi!” said James with a smile. His voice was high and sweet – even higher than Isaac's. It sounded like he hadn't even hit puberty yet.  
  
The rest of the team nodded, and some of them shook his hand. Isaac just nodded at him, not trusting himself to speak. Those eyes lingered on Isaac for a second. He could swear there was a hint of longing in them. All too soon, the moment passed and the team shuffled into the locker room to get changed. Isaac dumped his backpack down in his usual spot in the corner, giving him a good view of everyone else in there.  
  
To his surprise, James dumped his stuff right next to him and stuck out his hand to Isaac. “Hey, man, I'm James!” he said. “I just moved here from New York! How's, uh... how's it going?”  
  
Isaac opened his mouth and found himself unable to get words out for a few seconds. Up close, James was even more beautiful. He had pale, almost translucent skin that seemed to glow under the artificial lights of the locker room. “I'm... I'm good!” said Isaac, recovering himself just in time to shake the other boy's hand. “I'm Isaac. How're you finding it here so far?”  
  
James laughed, pulling his shirt off over his head. “I'll let you know when I've been here more than 24 hours,” he said, running a hand through his hair, which had gotten a little messed up when he'd taken his shirt off.  
  
“Oh.” Isaac started to fumble with his own shirt, but got distracted looking at James's chest. The rest of his body was just as pale as his face. Thin, wiry muscles ran along his arms and down his chest. His stomach was very defined, and Isaac had to wonder if he was deliberately tensing up. “How, uh... how're you finding the weather?” he asked as he took off his own shirt, wincing at his awkwardness. Surely he could think of something more interesting to say than that.  
  
James laughed again. It sounded almost musical. “It's pretty hot down here, man. But yeah, I like it! You like the weather here?” As soon as he'd said it, he winced too. “Fuck, that was dumb.” He shook his head, laughing a little as he pulled down his jeans, revealing a pair of blue briefs that clung to his skin, leaving nothing to the imagination. His legs were pale, and just as hairless as Isaac's.  
  
Determined not to stare, Isaac pulled off his own pants and bent over, rummaging through his backpack for his soccer kit.  
  
“How's the coach?” asked James, leaning in close to Isaac and stumbling into his own shorts.  
  
Isaac turned around to answer James and found himself at eye-level with the slimmer boy's nipples. They were light pink and very perky, pointing right at Isaac's face. He felt his little dick stiffening up and found his shorts as quickly as he could, stepping into them before anyone saw his boner. Once he was all covered up, he looked up at James and laughed. “Fucking sadistic, man. I could barely walk after practice last week.”  
  
James grimaced as he pulled his shorts up and stretched, showing off smooth armpits that sent Isaac's heart into a flutter. “I can take it!” he said, striking a pose that showed off his biceps.  
  
“You walk with your legs, dumbass,” grinned Isaac. All the same, he reached out to touch James' arm. His skin was warm and soft. Isaac's boner twitched, and he could swear he saw James' eyes dart down to look at it. Just for a second.  
  
“So that's where I've been going wrong all these years!” exclaimed James, putting a hand to his face and shaking his head. “Where would I be without you, Isaac?”  
  
Isaac laughed and pulled on his shirt. James did the same, and together the two of them made their way out of the locker room with the rest of the team.  
  
The coach had them running laps the second they hit the pitch. Isaac found himself jogging alongside James, struggling to keep up. After a few laps, he let himself drop back a little so he could check out the smaller boy's butt. It was nice and compact, his loose-fitting shorts moving to show off its curves as he ran. Isaac's dick was getting hard again  
  
After the laps, they were put into pairs for some stretches. To his dismay, Isaac didn't get to go with James. Instead, he was with Oliver, who he supposed was the next best thing.  
  
“Did you see that new kid?” whispered Oliver, casting a furtive glance at James.  
  
“Uh... yeah. He seems kinda cool.”  
  
Oliver snorted, helping Isaac lift his leg up above his waist. “He's such a queer. Did you see the way he was checking you out?”  
  
Isaac grimaced as his leg was lifted up. It did a great job of hiding the look of excitement on his face: James had been checking him out? “Ow! Er, no?”  
  
Oliver shook his head, doing his best not to smirk. “I'll pray for him,” he said, sounding serious for once.  
  
Isaac nodded, his heart in his throat. “Uh, me too,” he said quickly. “Did, um... did you do that History essay yet?”  
  
Oliver gave James one last filthy look before answering. “Nah, I was gonna do that tomorrow after church. You wanna help?” He lowered Isaac's leg down to the floor and put a hand on Isaac's shoulder. “C'mon, you do me!”  
  
“Uh... sure!” said Isaac, lifting the other boy's leg up. He'd already finished his essay, but he was happy to help his friend. Especially if it meant spending a few more hours with Oliver!  
  
Isaac felt his eyes drifting down Oliver's thigh over the light dusting of hair to his baggy blue boxer shorts. That was the one thing he didn't enjoy so much about Oliver: his underwear was so concealing. It worked in his favor now, though. Isaac could just about make out a patch of curly brown-  
  
No.  
  
Oliver had seen James checking Isaac out. Who's to say he wouldn't see Isaac checking _him_ out? He shuddered at the thought of his friend catching him like that. He called him gay as a joke, but that's how all the guys here talked. He didn't really mean it. Yet.  
  
They finished their stretches and started the bulk of training. Today, they were working on footwork. Isaac normally enjoyed footwork. He was good at it, and it kept his mind off other stuff. Today, though, it wasn't quite working. His mind kept drifting back to that morning. The things his mom saw. The things God saw. The way Oliver's stomach showed when he stretched. The way James smiled at him whenever they locked eyes.  
  
He returned to the locker room an hour later, head spinning. “Carter, I wanna see a little more spunk next week.” The coach patted his ass on the way back inside.  
  
“Yes, Coach,” he agreed. His stomach churned with guilt. Spunk was the last thing he wanted to think about now.  
  
Isaac trudged back to his corner and started to undress. He almost jumped out of his skin when he heard James clear his throat next to him. “Shit!” he exclaimed, turning around clad only in his boxer-briefs. “Oh, hey.” His spirits lifted somewhat at the sight of his new friend. Were they friends yet? “How'd you find training?”  
  
James shrugged, also undressing. “Not too bad. I can still walk, so that's good I guess.”  
  
“You city boys must be tougher than I thought.” Isaac grinned and looked James up and down. After what Oliver had said, he felt a little more comfortable openly staring at the ginger boy. His skin was pale and unblemished. The contrast between his body and his briefs had a nice effect, Isaac thought. They were much nicer than Oliver's underwear, anyway.  
  
“Damn straight.” James struck a few poses as he put his jeans and t-shirt back on. His clothes were tight, even on his skinny body. “I'm barely even sweating.”  
  
“Lucky for some,” muttered Isaac. “I'm gonna need a shower when I get home.”  
  
James laughed, fully dressed now. “Y'know,” he mused as he sat down and slid his feet into his canvas shoes. “You're the only one who's really talked to me so far. I thought you country folk were meant to be welcoming. What's that about?”  
  
Isaac's heart fluttered. He pulled on his sweatpants – having been too engrossed in James's little show to dress himself – and sat down next to the boy. “Ah, just give them some time. Once you get settled at school they'll be alright.”  
  
“Yeah, yeah, for sure.” He didn't sound sure. Had James overheard what Oliver said about him? The looks wouldn't have been hard to miss. “I guess I'll see you next week, then?”  
  
Isaac bit his lip. He didn't like the idea of waiting so long to see his new friend. Something about being around him made Isaac feel like everything was going to be okay. “Nah, wait. How about you come over to mine later? Mom's making meatloaf.” He pulled on his shirt, heart racing at his own daring. “I'll show you some real southern hospitality.”  
  
The other boy paused, turning to the rest of the room. Most of the team was dressed now. There were only a few stragglers left, Oliver included. He glared at James with barely concealed dislike. “Sure! Uh, what's your number? I'll call you when I get home.” He wrinkled his nose. “Make sure you shower first.”  
  
“Hey fuck you.” Isaac laughed, partially at the joke but mostly in relief. “Us country folk ain't 'fraid to get a li'l dirty.” He put on the most Southern accent he could, grinning.  
  
Once he was fully dressed, he typed his number into James's phone and set off home, feeling far happier than he had on the way there.


	2. Chapter 2

  
Isaac was practically skipping on the way home. He and James could play video games. That would be one thing that would be the same here as in the north, right? They could play tag in the yard. He supposed the houses didn't have much land attached where James was from. They could even wrestle. Isaac's stomach did a weird little lurch at this. James would want to, right? The way he'd been staring at him in the locker room...  
  
But then, that was sinful, wasn't it? He wasn't supposed to like boys like this. These were the thoughts Pastor Michael had said he'd have about _girls_. Boys like girls. Faggots like boys. And he wasn't a faggot, was he?  
  
Isaac's mood started to shift downwards. He was spared further spiralling by his phone. Suddenly, his heart was racing again.  
  
 **hey its james mom says i can come**  
  
Perfect! He saved James's number just as he was walking up the path to his front porch. He'd have to clear it with his parents first, but what if he explained that James didn't know the Lord yet and Isaac wanted to be the one to show him? Perhaps he could say he wanted to repent of his onanism and show Jesus just how ready he was to turn his life around. That would be a lie, of course: Isaac fully intended to engage in some self-abuse tonight as he fell asleep. Probably tomorrow morning before church, too. Another sin to add to the list.  
  
Isaac couldn't decide whether to feel happy or sad. Sad, he decided upon seeing his parents' faces. They were both sitting on the couch, glaring at the news. His mom had been crying. His dad turned to him as he walked in. “Isaac,” he said shortly. “Your mother told me about this morning. We need to have a serious talk about your walk with God. No son of mine is going to- to...” His voice trailed off. This must be awkward for him too.  
  
Isaac felt the room sway a little. At least the Bible Belt – his parents' affectionate name for their favorite paddle – was still in its rightful place above the mantelpiece. Despite his abject humiliation, there was a little spark inside his chest. He wanted to know more about James. Why had he moved here? Was he really a, well...  
  
“To jerk himself off under my roof,” Isaac's father finished. He was turning quite red too. “If it happens again, I'll beat your ass so hard you can't sit down for a month, you hear me?”  
  
“Yes, Sir.” Isaac looked meekly at the floor. It moved from side to side like he was on a ship.“It won't happen again, Sir.”  
  
“You're damn right it won't. Your mother and I are going to see Pastor Michael about it in a few minutes. He'll want a word tomorrow, I'm sure.”  
  
Fuck. “Yes, Sir. I'm sorry, Sir.”  
  
“And no more closed doors. If you're alone, I want to be able to see you.” Spittle was flying out of the man's mouth as he spoke.  
  
Isaac flinched. “Yes, Sir.” He took a deep breath. His father seemed to have shouted himself out. “Uh, Dad? I met a new friend today. His name's James, and he- he doesn't know anyone here yet. I told him he could come over if it was okay with you?” This last sentence was more of a question than a statement.  
  
“Hm. Is he saved?”  
  
Isaac gulped. The same question his parents asked about every new friend he made. “No, Sir. I- I thought we could invite him to church tomorrow? Help him get settled?”  
  
There was a pause. “Alright. Go shower, then wait in your room until he gets here. The door stays _open_.”  
  
“Yes, Sir.” Isaac hurried away before his dad decided he needed to be spanked after all.  
  
Before he showered, he sent a quick reply to James:  
  
 **hey when can u come im just showering now**  
  
Inside the shower, he let the warm water wash over him, eyes closed. He'd barely even thought about Oliver since he'd met James. He'd been praying for this kind of relief for months, hadn't he? So in a way, James was the answer to his prayers. As Isaac rubbed soap onto his body, he felt himself stiffen up. Perhaps God hadn't answered his prayers in the way he'd wanted, but He never did, did He? “God,” he muttered to himself, a habit Pastor Michaels encouraged. “Give me the words to say to James. Show Yourself to him through me. Amen.” As he finished the prayer, Isaac washed the soap away and stepped out of the shower.  
  
Wrapped in his towel, Isaac made his way through to his bedroom, careful to leave the door open. He picked out a pair of blue boxer-briefs and slid them on before checking his phone for a response.  
  
 **i can come whenever but whats ur address dumbass :P**  
  
Shit, he hadn't thought of that. Isaac sent James his address and pulled on a pair of tan slacks. He was halfway through battling with a button-up shirt – he could never be bothered to unbutton them all the way to get them on – when he heard his phone buzz. Half his chest still bare, he grabbed his phone to read the message.  
  
 **ill be there in 10**  
  
Ten minutes? He finished with his shirt and dashed to the edge of the stairs. That was as far as he dared to go while his dad was in one of his moods. “Mom?” he called. The safer choice. “James is gonna be here soon, can I come down to greet him?”  
  
He heard conferring in the kitchen. “Yes, honey. Is your room clean?”  
  
Isaac's heart fluttered. He was going to be allowed to hang out with James in his room! “Uh... not quite, Mom. I'll deal with it now.”  
  
He returned to his room, looking around. That morning's sweaty clothes were screwed up in a ball next to his soccer uniform. He tossed them into the laundry hamper and then picked up his video games. The boxes were littered all across the floor from a few days ago when he'd been looking for his Spiderman disc. Isaac straightened a poster on the wall – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” – and did one last spot check. It looked okay. He pulled the sheets over his bed to hide the shameful white stains and then made his way downstairs.  
  
He didn't have to wait long. His phone buzzed to let him know James was outside. Isaac just about jumped up from where he was sitting on the sofa (he couldn't face the thought of joining his parents in the kitchen just yet) and ran to the door. “Hey!” he said, grinning from ear to ear. Everything was fine now.  
  
“Hey,” said James. He was still dressed in his skinny jeans, though he'd changed into a tight blue t-shirt that showed his wiry muscles off nicely. “You clean up good.”  
  
Isaac laughed. A real laugh, not the fake one he used when he spoke to Oliver. “Thanks, man. You too.”  
  
“Bitch, I'm always clean.” He put a hand to his hip and thrust it out to the side, looking incredibly gay. Pastor Michael's warnings about associating too closely with sinners echoed in the back of Isaac's mind, but he pushed them away.  
  
“Sure, sure,” he said, stepping back to let the other boy inside. As he passed him in the threshold, Isaac glanced down. His skinny jeans really _were_ skinny. Isaac could see the curves of his little ass. It looked muscular, but tight and compact like the rest of his body. “Welcome to my humble abode.”  
  
James looked around. His eyes rested on each of the crosses hanging in the hallway. There were at least three, with a few more dotted around the place. “You guys really like the letter T, huh?” he said.  
  
Isaac gulped. He didn't want to get into this with James. Not right now. “Uh, yeah,” he chuckled nervously.  
  
The younger boy had already moved on. He was examining a wooden plaque with the words 'As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.' James opened his mouth, presumably about to say something sarcastic when Isaac's mom came to the rescue. “Hello! You must be James. Bless your heart.” She pulled him into a hug. Her make-up was somewhat smudged after her crying session that morning, but her smile looked genuine. Isaac couldn't remember the last time she'd smiled like that.  
  
“Uh, thanks,” said James, returning the hug. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. ah...”  
  
“Mrs. Carter. I hear you're on Isaac's soccer team?”  
  
“Yeah, I just joined today.” James continued to make small talk with Isaac's mother. Isaac felt a bizarre twinge of jealousy at this, tuning out of the conversation. James was _his_ friend. _He_ wanted to hang out with him.  
  
“Have you eaten yet, honey?” They'd reached the kitchen. James had been examining  
  
“No, not yet. Isaac said something about meatloaf?” James was grinning. “I've heard good things.”  
  
Isaac's glanced his way, and for a moment the warmth drained from her face, but it was back in place as she addressed James. “Oh, I'm afraid there's been a change of plans. Paul and I have some errands to run, you boys will have to make do with pizza. I hope that's not a problem?”  
  
“Not at all!” James perked up at the mention of pizza.  
  
“Isaac, honey, we'll be home at six. After we speak to Pastor Michael we gotta run to the store for a few things. Then I think it's best if-” she glanced towards the hallway. Isaac's dad was now in the sitting room, grumbling at Fox News. “If we let your dad calm down,” she finished.  
  
James stood politely to the side, giving Isaac a concerned look. Isaac was sure his new friend was going to say something stupid and get him into more shit, but he didn't. He didn't even get a chance: Isaac's dad's booming voice echoed down the hall from the sitting room. “Rebecca! We're leaving.”  
  
Isaac's mom planted a quick kiss on Isaac's forehead. “I'd better go. You boys be good!” As she walked down the hall, she looked over her shoulder. “It was lovely to meet you, James.”  
  
“You too, Ma'am.”  
  
She was too busy hurrying away after Isaac's dad to answer him. The front door slammed, and then they were alone. There was silence for a moment. James looked around the kitchen. “So what did you do?” he asked, grinning. “Your parents are _pissed_.”  
  
Isaac wasn't ready to have this talk yet, especially with someone he'd only known for a few hours. “Ah, it's not a big deal.”  
  
The ginger boy was busy examining a Bible verse fridge magnet (“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want” over a picture of a sheep on a hill) but put it back, blue eyes gleaming with mischief. “You stayed out too late last night getting wasted? You stole your parents' car to go visit your girlfriend? You, uh... only prayed four times yesterday?”  
  
Isaac laughed in spite of himself. “That's Muslims, dipshit.”  
  
“Oh! You converted to Islam? Mashallah, brother Isaac.”  
  
“Naw man, Jesus til I die.” He put a hand on James's shoulder and slowly guided him out of the way of the fridge. “You want pizza now?”  
  
“Sure!” He stepped out of the way. Isaac could have sworn he felt electricity as his hand brushed the smaller boy's shoulder. He felt warm to the touch, and he let his hand linger there. “Do you have Hawaiian?”  
  
“You think we're all backwater hillbillies, huh? Think we don't got pineapple 'round these parts?”  
  
“Well if it talks like a hillbilly...” teased James. He didn't pull away from Isaac's touch. Bright blue eyes met Isaac's brown eyes, and he felt an overwhelming urge to kiss the boy. The moment passed.  
  
“Alright, two Hawaiian pizzas coming right up,” announced Isaac in his regular speaking voice.  
  
“Can't wait. What are you gonna have?”  
  
“Fuck you.”  
  
James laughed and stepped back to let Isaac put two pizzas into the oven. “I dunno if Jesus would approve,” he teased. Time seemed to slow as they looked at each other. Isaac once again felt like kissing him, but held back. He was right: Jesus _wouldn't_ approve. “So, do I get the grand tour?” he asked, sensing the moment had once again passed.  
  
“Sure thing!”  
  
And so Isaac took his new friend on a guided tour of his house. The other boy didn't say it, but Isaac could tell he was impressed at the size: houses in the city were never as big as the ones out here. There was just more land to build them on. He did comment on the paddle on the wall of the sitting room. “They... they hit you with that?” He didn't try to make a joke, just stared at him with something like concern in his eyes.  
  
“Oh, only sometimes,” he said, brushing James's concern off. “Like, if they catch me sneaking out or cussing or whatever.”  
  
“Jesus fuck!”  
  
“Yeah, they'd beat your ass for that for sure.” Isaac mimed that he was about to smack James but stopped just short. He was oh so tempted to touch his butt, but that would only make the sinful urges he was feeling stronger.  
  
“Well thank heck they're not here, huh?”  
  
The tour continued. They explored the study, the bathrooms, Isaac's parents' bedroom, and finally Isaac's room.  
  
“So this is where the magic happens, huh?” James walked inside and looked around, taking in all the Jesus paraphernalia on the walls. “Or the miracles, I guess.” His eyes drifted over the 'I can do all things...' poster. “Oh, shit, you have a PS4? You gotta add me, man!” He pulled out his phone and opened the PlayStation app. “What's your username?”  
  
Isaac told him. A few seconds later, his own phone buzzed as the friend request came through. He accepted, grinning, while James started to look through his games. They were officially friends now. “I have some others digitally, I dunno if my parents would approve of them.” He grinned self-consciously. “They don't know enough to check it.”  
  
“Bad boy,” teased James in a sing-song voice. “Does somebody need a spanking?”  
  
“Hey, fuck you.”  
  
“Buy me dinner first.” He winked. “Hey, speaking of, shouldn't our food be done now?”  
  
Fuck. In the excitement of showing James around, he'd forgotten about that. “Don't question the chef,” he said, puffing his chest out proudly. “The charcoal just adds texture.”  
  
As it turned out, their pizza was fine. One was a little burned around the edges. Ever the gracious host, Isaac had that one, leaving the good one to James. They talked a little as they ate, chatting about the school James would be starting. Like evolution in the classroom, separation of church and state was more of a theory out here. James got pretty excited when he heard there were prayers said over the intercom with morning announcements. “I'll sue! I'll go to the ACLU, I'll be rich!”  
  
Isaac just laughed. He quite enjoyed the time to reflect on his walk with God, and didn't want this city liberal taking that away from him. He didn't say that, though; this was going well so far. And he couldn't quite shake the thought that James was hitting on him. There were a few long, lingering looks between them. It wasn't awkward, more... charged. Electric. Whenever these moments happened, Isaac took the biggest bite of pizza he could and looked away until he felt normal again.  
  
James insisted on washing the plates. Isaac insisted on helping him. Together, they spent far longer than they had to at the sink, splashing each other with water and generally making a mess. It was a good thing Isaac's parents _were_ out; with the mood his dad was in he'd get beat for this for sure.  
  
When the plates were finally washed and dried, the two boys made their way back up to Isaac's room for some video games.


	3. Chapter 3

  
Once they were upstairs, the boys sat on Isaac's bed to get down to the most important business: video games. Isaac handed James the good controller and loaded up _Injustice_ , which he'd bought digitally and hidden in a subfolder with some other more suitable games. James snickered at this but didn't say anything.  
  
“So what did you do?” he asked again. “Your parents saw you have GTA? You, uh... you skipped church?”  
  
With only a thin duvet separating the boys and the white patch on the bed, Isaac didn't want to say anything. “It's not important.” He kept on loading up the game, setting them up for a versus match.  
  
“C'monnnn... okay, let's say if I win you have to tell me. Deal?”  
  
Isaac grinned. His competitive streak had been activated now. “Sure. And if I win, I get to ask _you_ a question.”  
  
“Sure!” James furrowed his brow and leaned forward on the bed, focusing on the game. It was surprisingly even. James must play this a bunch. Kind of weird for an old game, but it was one of Isaac's favorites too.  
  
In the end, it came down to a few HP. Isaac successfully blocked James's special attack, but he was low enough that it killed him anyway. “Fuck!” he exclaimed, taking advantage of his parents being out to express his frustration fully. He leaned back on the bed and lay his controller down, turning red. A deal was a deal.  
  
James turned to face him, leaning on one hand. “Alright, so what'd you do? Don't keep me guessing here.”  
  
Isaac brought his hands to his eyes. “It's embarrassing,” he almost whined. “Fine. My mom walked in on me jerking off this morning.”  
  
The other boy didn't react right away. Isaac felt his face burning. Wasn't he at least going to make a joke? “She didn't knock?” he said, sounding sympathetic. “Shit, dude, from the way they were acting I thought you killed someone.” He paused. Isaac looked up at him. Was it his imagination, or was his smile a little too knowing? “It wasn't, like, goat porn was it?”  
  
Isaac threw a pillow at him. “No! It was-” he started, but then stopped. He felt like he could trust this new boy, but maybe not that much yet. Yet? What was he thinking? This was his dirtiest secret, his own sinful burden to bear. He hadn't even told Pastor Michael.  
  
“If I win again, will you tell me?” James was barely smiling now. There was a far-off look in his eye. He seemed almost lustful.  
  
“Sure...” he said. “But you won't. And if I win, I get to ask a _really_ good question.”  
  
“Sounds good to me!”  
  
Isaac hit rematch. This time, he picked the Flash and absolutely destroyed his new friend. If it weren't for the slightly broken controller, James wouldn't have landed a single hit.  
  
“Shit,” he said,leaning back onto his elbows, though Isaac wasn't entirely sure he'd been trying. “Ask away.”  
  
Isaac bit his lip. He could ask James about religion. From the jokes he'd been making earlier he didn't sound like he had any interest in knowing Jesus. Or, he could ask about something a little more carnal. “How often do you jerk off? Do _you_ watch goat porn?”  
  
James laughed. “Nah, man. Uh...” He gulped. “Like, once a day? Sometimes twice.” He narrowed his eyes, a look of mock-suspicion on his face. “That was two questions. Nice try, but you're gonna have to beat me again for my next answer.”  
  
“Alright, goatfucker,” said Isaac, hitting the rematch button. This time James put up a much better fight, and only just lost. “Get fuuuucked!” he exclaimed, pushing James gently.  
  
James lay down on his side, laughing. “Alright, fine! No, I don't watch goat porn. I, uh... mostly use my imagination.”  
  
“Mostly?” Isaac felt the room getting warmer. This didn't feel completely real. He shouldn't be asking these questions; James's sins were between him and God. But he couldn't help feeling curious.  
  
The redhead sighed dramatically. “Fine. But you can't use Flash next round!”  
  
“Sure, I'll kick your ass with anyone. Spit it out, goat boy.”  
  
James took a deep breath. Was he nervous? “Uh, sometimes I use Instagram. Like... famous actors, swimmers, shirtless workout videos.”  
  
Actors. Not actresses, _actors_. Isaac felt the heat go up by a few degrees. “Oh, cool.” He tried to keep his voice level, to not show what he'd been thinking. But what was he thinking? Part of him was celebrating: James _was_ hitting on him. He _had_ been checking him out in the locker room. He was a fag. But, like... he was a fag! Exactly the kind of city liberal Pastor Michael had warned him about. “Whatever floats your boat, man.”  
  
A little sheepish, James picked up his controller again, but he didn't seem ready to play quite yet. “Yeahhh... I was kinda worried moving here. I heard what your friend was saying about me, I guess I'm not used to it. Everyone back home was cool, but...” He trailed off. “You do still wanna hang out, right?”  
  
“Yeah!” said Isaac quickly. If anything, he wanted to hang out even more now he knew. “Just, maybe keep it to yourself a bit? Not everyone here agrees with that kinda thing.”  
  
“I noticed,” said James, coldly.  
  
“Round four, let's go!” Isaac switched off Flash and tried again as Superman. He was something of a one-trick-pony when it came to this game and lost badly.  
  
“Alright, I told you. Now you tell me.”  
  
Isaac took a deep breath. James wouldn't judge him about this. “I use my imagination too,” he said slowly. He hadn't realized his face could get this red. “Um... well, it was... someone from school.”  
  
“What's her name?” James had scooted all the way onto the bed, sitting cross-legged and watching him intently.  
  
“Oliver,” Isaac mumbled. He kept his eyes low to the ground, not daring to look up. When James didn't say anything, he risked a glance at his new friend.  
  
“Him?!” James was aghast. How could he be gay and still judge him for liking a guy? “He looks like... you know those pictures of Neanderthals in textbooks?”  
  
Isaac burst out laughing in relief. He couldn't help himself. It was kinda true, now that he thought about it. Not that many of his textbooks _had_ pictures of Neanderthals. “I mean-” he started, but James wasn't done.  
  
“He's like if Joel Osteen fucked an ape and they raised the baby at a Trump rally. He's like-”  
  
Isaac shut him up with a second pillow to the face, still chuckling. “He's cute!” It was the first time he'd said that out loud. “Don't judge.”  
  
James put his hands up, throwing the pillow back. “Nah man, I am judging. Like, what the hell? There are wayyyyyyy cuter guys on the team than him.”  
  
Isaac went quiet. Could James be talking about him? A thought occurred to him: if James had heard Oliver calling him a fag, he must also have heard what he'd said about checking Isaac out in the locker room. “I have a question.”  
  
“Go for it.”  
  
“Was the other thing Oliver said true? Were you checking me out?”  
  
James blushed. “Well...” he started. “First you have to beat me.” He turned so that he was facing the TV and leaned down to pick up the controller. “But if I win, then, uhhh...” His voice trailed off, trying to think of a question. “You have to take your shirt off.”  
  
The air in the room got hotter still. Isaac felt himself starting to stiffen in his pants at this. He should say no. He should send James home and spend the rest of the day praying for forgiveness. He opened his mouth to tell the faggot to get out, but instead found himself saying, “Well that's my answer.”  
  
“Don't flatter yourself, it's just an ugly shirt!” James shot back.  
  
“Can't take it back now,” Isaac taunted. “New question: if I win, you take off _your_ shirt.”  
  
“That's not a question. But sure.” James glanced at the TV. While they'd been talking, the PlayStation had gone into rest mode. “I don't wanna play _Injustice_ any more. You're not enough of a challenge.”  
  
“Whoa now, I kicked your ass. You're just chicken.”  
  
James threw both pillows back into Isaac's face. He tossed them onto the ground and pounced on the slender boy. His intended victim twisted around so that they were lying on their sides, each trying to get on top. “Pin me for three seconds and I'll take my shirt off,” James panted.  
  
“You're on.” They didn't talk much as they tussled. Isaac felt the head emanating through James's clothes. If you ignored hugs and the occasional playfight with Oliver, this was the closest he'd been to another boy. It did feel different; their hands weren't pushing each other down so much as caressing each other over their clothes. Isaac was fully hard now, and thankful he'd opted for slacks rather than sweatpants. As he rolled over on top of James, he could have sworn he felt the other boy's dick digging into his thigh.  
  
He paused. This was wrong. They both had erections. They were both enjoying this in ways boys shouldn't enjoy each other's bodies. The thought sat in his hormone-addled brain for a moment and then he pushed it away, pinning James's arms down onto the bed.  
  
“One... two... three.” He let go and sat up on top of James, legs either side of the other boy's hips. “I win again,” he grinned. “That was fun!”  
  
“You got lucky.” James's blue eyes were wide, staring up at Isaac. There was definitely lust in them. He opened his mouth.  
  
Isaac shifted off James and sat next to him on the edge of the bed. It wasn't wide enough for anything else. “Shirt off, city boy,” he grinned. His insides were churning with mixed feelings. He shouldn't be having these thoughts. He shouldn't want to see another boy shirtless. But then, it was no different from the locker room, right?  
  
The city boy obliged, tugging his shirt off and tossing at Isaac in one motion. Isaac threw it down to the floor and stared openly at his friend. He had been wrong. This was very different to the locker room. James wasn't about to put his soccer jersey on, he was lying on Isaac's bed with a coy grin on his face. He had a few freckles on his pecs that Isaac hadn't noticed while they were changing. There didn't seem to be any hair on his chest, not like Oliver had. He felt his heart racing.  
  
“Okay, if you answer my question from before-”  
  
“Naw man, I already took my shirt off!”  
  
“Then I'll take mine off too,” Isaac finished, speaking over the other boy. His voice shook with nerves.  
  
James didn't speak for a second, apparently weighing up his options. He shifted across on the bed and lay on his side, one arm casually over his lap. “Alright. Uh...” He blushed, uncharacteristically shy. “I mean, I... like... you're better looking than that Oliver kid.”  
  
Isaac grinned, undoing the top half of his shirt buttons. “How much better looking? Scale of 1-10.”  
  
“C'mon, that's more than one question,” he pouted, and Isaac started to button his shirt back up. “Alright, alright. He's a 3, and you're... hmm. A 6 maybe? 6.5?”  
  
“Only 6.5?” he said, pretending to sound disappointed. He finished unbuttoning his shirt and it joined James's on the floor.  
  
“Well what am I?” asked James, whose eyes were practically coming out on stalks as he stared at Isaac's bare chest.  
  
“Hmm.” Isaac made to lie down next to James, who scooted over to let him. On the single bed, they were practically touching. “At least a 4.”  
  
James's face was competing with his hair in redness. “Hotter than Oliver, then?” he teased. As he spoke he moved towards Isaac slightly. His arm brushed Isaac's chest, and then he moved it away. “Sorry.”  
  
“Nah, you're good.” James must have felt Isaac's heart racing in his chest, seen the way he could barely get a full breath in.  
  
“You didn't answer.” The slender boy spoke in such a quiet voice that Isaac had to move closer to hear him. Their sides were touching. Isaac's skin burned at the point of contact, his entire being focused on those few square inches of his chest. Even though he'd taken his shirt off, the room was unbearably hot.  
  
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “I mean, a little.”  
  
“But I thought you said he was so cute!” said James, pushing playfully at Isaac's bare chest.  
  
Isaac pushed back, grinning. “Don't let it go to your head.”  
  
And just like that, they were wrestling again. It was different this time. They were both out of breath despite having barely started. Neither of them were really trying to get on top. Isaac wasn't sure what the goal was. Their legs locked together, both of them openly thrusting their hips against each other. James made no attempt to hide his erection. Isaac didn't either, letting his hands run up and down James's chest. His skin was so pale against the dark blue of the bedsheets. Isaac's tanned chest rubbed against him, electricity surging where their bodies touched.  
  
“You do this a lot?” he asked breathlessly. “In New York?”  
  
“No,” replied James, equally breathless. “You?”  
  
Isaac had to laugh. “Here? Nah, you're the only gay guy I know.”  
  
“Oh, so you're just desperate?” he teased. “Gonna close your eyes and pretend I'm Oliver? Here, let me help: that there James kid just ain't right. He's some kinda faaaggit.” He spoke in such an exaggerated southern drawl that Isaac was laughing too hard to carry on with... well, whatever it was they were doing.  
  
“No,” he said when he could finally speak again. “No, you're..” his voice trailed off. Cute? Hot? Sexy? James was all three. What would his parents do if they knew he was thinking those things about a guy? Spank him with the Bible Belt until it broke over his ass, probably. “You're alright,” he finished lamely.  
  
“Well thank God I'm alright.” James sat up, looking a little offended. Isaac couldn't tell if he was kidding or not.  
  
“I mean, you're also- um... sorry, I'm kinda...” He searched for the right words. “This is weird for me.”  
  
James lay back down, though their wrestling – or whatever – was done for now. “Yeah, what's that about? You seem, uh...” he bit his lip, apparently also searching for the right words. “Pretty Christian.”  
  
“Yeah...” Isaac felt like Adam in the garden, suddenly aware of his nakedness, even though it was only his chest. “I dunno.”  
  
“Do you think this is wrong?” asked James.  
  
“I mean...” started Isaac. Yes. “No? I don't know. I like you. You're hot. But like... the Bible says-”  
  
“The Bible says lots of things.” James had half a smile on his face, possibly from being called hot, or possibly at the prospect of an argument. “Let's say I was dating someone called Sam, right? You- well, your parents and Priest-”  
  
“Pastor,” corrected Isaac without realizing it.  
  
“Sure, your parents and Pastor would say that was wrong, yeah?”  
  
Isaac nodded. Their faces were so close that they were almost whispering. It somehow felt more intimate than talking normally. “Yeah,” he agreed, eyes drifting up and down the other boy's torso.  
  
“And they'd say it was evil and sinful and I was going to hell and all that bullshit. But what if it turned out Sam's full name was Samantha?”  
  
“Well that's different.”  
  
“How?” James's smile was wider now.  
  
“I mean...” Isaac gulped. What was different about it? It was hard to think with James this close to him. All he could really feel was a hint of jealousy towards this fictional Sam, whatever their gender was. “It just is, I guess.”  
  
James leaned even closer. Isaac could smell the pizza on his breath. This close, he could count every single one of the freckles dotted around his nose. “How?” he asked again.  
  
Isaac couldn't resist any more. He leaned in the rest of the way and planted a kiss on the other boy's lips. He expected to feel fireworks as their lips met, but he didn't. God didn't smite him, either. He took a deep breath and kissed James again. “Am I at least a better kisser than Samantha?”  
  
“Fuck you,” laughed James. His voice tinkled like a wind chime when he did. Isaac felt his heart soar.  
  
“If you'd like,” he teased, before realizing the context he'd said that in. “I mean, no, not like that. Like... I don't want...”  
  
James kissed him, saving him from digging the hole any deeper. “Yeah, I get it.”  
  
“Not that you're not- er, if I did want to- well,” he sputtered. “It's just-”  
  
James cut him off with another kiss. “It's kinda cute when you do that.”  
  
“Do what?” Isaac wasn't sure whether he should feel patronized or flattered at being called cute.  
  
“You get this, like, flustered look on your face, like you know you're making it worse by talking but you just can't stop. Like that!” James kissed Isaac again, forcing whatever words he'd been about to say back down into his mouth.  
  
They lay together for what felt like hours. Isaac started to push against James again. There was no pretence of fighting now. Their bodies pressed together as if they were trying to squeeze inside of each other. James's lips were warm and soft, and those pressed together as well. He flickered his tongue out towards Isaac, and Isaac pulled away. “Sorry,” he whispered. “Too much?” Isaac nodded and got back to kissing James childishly on the mouth.  
  
They spent the rest of the afternoon on Isaac's bed. After a while they got bored of kissing and booted the PlayStation back up, mostly to fuck about in Minecraft. They compared notes on TV characters they liked. It seemed they had similar taste in men, though Isaac wasn't quite comfortable discussing that out loud and kept getting flustered, earning him a quick kiss from James.  
  
Around 5:30, they put their shirts on and made their way downstairs. Isaac found a chessboard in a closet and got that out, but neither of them were completely sure of the rules. At 6:13, Isaac's parents returned. His dad looked happier, but his expression darkened as he saw Isaac.  
  
“Can't move your rook diagonally,” was all he said by way of greeting.  
  
“Hey there, Mr. Carter!” said James, but Mr. Carter had already stomped upstairs. He gave Isaac a 'what the fuck was that' look, but didn't press further.  
  
“Oh, James! Hi there, honey! I think it might be best if you go home for now. Has Isaac invited you to church tomorrow?” Isaac's mom bustled into the room carrying some shopping. Isaac nodded at James behind her back.  
  
He just shrugged. “Uh, yeah! I just need to clear it with my mom first, but it should be okay.”  
  
“Oh, that's wonderful. I hope you like it as much as your church back home.”  
  
“Yeah, I'm sure I will. Thanks for having me, Mrs. Carter.” He stood to leave, checking his pockets for his phone. It was still there. “I'll see you tomorrow, Isaac?”  
  
“Yeah, man, can't wait!” he said. That was true: his new friend hadn't even left yet and he was already missing him. For a moment, Isaac wished he could give James a kiss goodbye, but with his mother in the room that was impossible.  
  
James walked out the door, gave Isaac a friendly wave, and then began the short walk back to his place.


	4. Chapter 4

James's dad pulled up to the church parking lot and rested his hands on the steering wheel. “You're sure you want to go to church? _This_ church?” he asked, turning back to face James.  
  
He nodded. This was the second time he'd asked since they'd gotten in the car, and the fourth since he'd woken up this morning. “My friend Isaac invited me. I wanna hang out with him at the potluck afterwards!”  
  
“I think it's great you're making friends, James.” His mother patted his father's arm from the passenger seat, turning around to smile at him. “Isaac sounds like a great kid.”  
  
His dad snorted, pushing the door open. “You sure talk about him enough,” he said as he stepped out of the car.  
  
James blushed a little. He'd never officially come out to his parents, but he wasn't exactly closeted either. For someone like James, it didn't need to be said. “Shut up,” he said, but he was grinning as he exited the car and walked towards Isaac's church. A large sign out front assured them that they were indeed at a church.   
  
**TODAY'S MESSAGE: SUICIDE IS SELF-MURDER. GOD IS THE ANSWER.**  
  
“That's a little morbid,” mused James's dad. He ran a hand through his hair, which had probably been the same shade of reddy-brown as James's, once.  
  
“Steven,” warned James's mom. “Be respectful. These are our new neighbors.”  
  
“I know,” he sighed, smiling. “We have to make a good first impression, I got it.”  
  
And they really had gone all out. All three of them were wearing their Sunday best. James and his father had matching red ties over white shirts – a family joke – and his mother was wearing a light blue floral dress. James's dad had prepared a fruit salad for the potluck, which he carried under one arm. Around them, people were milling about chatting as they made their way towards the church. As far as churches went, it was pretty basic. Bright white walls were inlaid with stained glass windows. Scenes from the Bible, or saints, or whatever. The wooden door was panelled to look like a cross. Subtle, James thought.  
  
“Hey!” called Isaac. He ran over to them, dressed in a similar button-down shirt to yesterday with a blue tie. “I'm Isaac,” he said to James's mom, holding out his hand. “It's lovely to meet you, Ma'am.”  
  
“Oh, you're so polite!”  
  
“Thank you, Ma'am. Can I carry that for you, Sir?” he said turning to James's dad and taking the tub of fruit salad from him.  
  
“Sure thing, kiddo.”  
  
“I'll just put it in the back for after the service,” he explained. “You wanna come, James? I'll show you around.”  
  
“Yeah!” he exclaimed, excited at the prospect of some alone time with Isaac. Of course, he knew it wouldn't quite be the same as it had been yesterday, but it would be great to talk some more.  
  
James followed his new friend around the side of the church, unable to conceal his grin. The path was narrow, and James could see just how tight Isaac's formal pants were. His ass was full and muscular, swaying as he walked. He turned to face James and he lifted his gaze to his face a little too late. “It's just up here.” He was smiling: he knew where James had been looking.  
  
“Sure,” said James, following Isaac through a door into a building behind the church. It was a little smaller, though there were still several crosses around, and a shelf full of pamphlets with names like 'If God loves me, why can't I get my locker open?' James had to stifle a laugh.  
  
“Hey, uh, by the way. I didn't wanna say when we were texting, but like...” Isaac trailed off. James bit his lip, trying to resist the urge to kiss the tanned boy. He'd combed his hair to the side a little for the occasion and it made him look even more beautiful. “We should probably keep, um... some stuff just between us.”  
  
What was he saying? Was he going to go full Jesus freak? “Oh, uh, yeah,” stammered James. They'd texted back and forth for a few hours after James had gone home. Isaac hadn't mentioned the kissing but he hadn't acted weird or anything. Had he changed his mind overnight?  
  
“I mean, it was great, and uh... I guess I'd be down to, like... do it more.” Isaac turned away as he spoke, bending down to put the fruit salad in a refrigerator with the other desserts. James got a great view of his butt as he did, though he was more focused on the feelings of relief flooding through him.  
  
“Yeah man, for sure. It was fun.”  
  
Isaac stood up and grinned at him. His teeth were far too straight and white to be a hick, they looked even more perfect against his tanned skin. James had to bite down the urge to kiss him. “But if we can like...” Isaac paused, looking at someone behind James. “Hey, Pastor Michael!”  
  
James turned. Pastor Michael was a thirty-something year old man wearing the sort of scuffy, casual shirt you might see a high schooler wear to a dance. His brown hair was slicked up slightly at the front, gray streaks already visible despite his boyish face. James was getting major Peter Pan vibes off this dude. “Isaac!” he said, high-fiving him. “Who's your friend?”  
  
“This is James! He just moved here.”  
  
“Welcome, James. What do you think so far?” Pastor Michael stuck out his hand. James shook it, feeling a little uncomfortable.  
  
“Uh, everyone's been pretty cool so far.” That wasn't entirely true, but he wasn't about to complain about homophobes to the homophobe-in-chief. “I guess I'll let you know when I start school,” he laughed.  
  
“Just remember, God has a plan for you. If He brought you here, there's a reason for that.”  
  
“Oh, I thought my parents brought me here,” said James before he could stop himself.  
  
There was an awkward pause. From the corner of his eye, James saw Isaac biting his lip trying to keep down a fit of laughter. “Well, ah, I should get going. Lots to prepare before Pastor Dave's sermon.” The pastor walked away, rubbing his hands together in what was probably supposed to be a 'let's get to it' motion, but he looked more like some kind of cartoon bad guy.  
  
As soon as he was out the door, Isaac let out the laughter he'd been holding in. “Did you see his face?” he asked. “Shit dude, nobody talks to him like that.”  
  
“Like what? My parents _did_ bring me here,” protested James, but he was laughing too.  
  
Grinning like idiots, the two of them made their way back to the main part of the church. James followed Isaac into a pew by the back, waving to his parents so they knew where he was. Oliver sidled in next to them along with another boy James half recognized from soccer the previous day. With the four of them sitting there, it was a little cramped. Their legs were practically touching.  
  
Oliver shot James a distinctly unwelcoming glare. He shifted away, leaving James and Isaac's legs pressed together. James wished he had a Bible or something to put over his lap, because someone was sure to notice his boner. Next to him, Isaac had a Bible open on his knees. James wondered if it was there for the same reason.  
  
Now that he thought about it, almost everyone had their Bible on their lap. Oliver and the other boy – Noah? – had Bibles with matching blue covers. James saw the words _**GUYS LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE**_ on the front in hideous 90s typeface. Perhaps Jesus should stick to appearing on toast and leave graphic design to the professionals.  
  
“Here,” muttered Isaac, handing James a little red Bible that had been sitting in a cubby in front of them. It was far plainer than the other boys'.  
  
James was just turning the Bible over in his hands, having a look at the table of contents, when Pastor Michael got up on stage. “Good morning! This is the day that the Lord has made!”  
  
“We will rejoice and be glad in it,” droned the congregation. None of them sounded very glad.  
  
“Welcome to all of you, especially the visitors we have with us today.” He nodded towards James's pew. Everyone turned to look. He gave a little wave and the congregation turned back to the front. “Before we start, I'd like you all to turn to Ecclesiastes chapter 1. Paul has agreed to read it to us.” Isaac's dad walked up on stage as well, carrying his own Bible. If there were so many fucking Bibles here, why did everyone insist on bringing one as well? James shuddered at the thought of how many trees died for this bullshit.  
  
Isaac's dad looked strange in a shirt and tie. His muscular arms bulged inside the white fabric, his gut threatening to burst the buttons open. From what he'd seen of the man yesterday, James didn't think anyone dared suggest he get the next size up. “'Meaningless! Meaningless!' says the Teacher,” he began. James tuned out, trying to find Ecclesiastes in his borrowed Bible. He found Ephesians, but that seemed too close to the end. Esther was about half way through. Was he getting any closer?  
  
Seeing him struggle, Isaac shifted a little closer and rested his Bible between them, their legs well and truly touching now. “Thanks,” James mouthed, doing his best to follow along.  
  
“For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.” Isaac's dad shut his Bible and walked back to his seat, looking very pleased with himself. How did someone like him have such a hot son? James glanced at Isaac, who had now bowed his head in prayer. He wondered wryly if his friend – boyfriend?– was going to turn into some kind of ogre in middle age. It was a little early to be worrying about that now.  
  
The prayer finished, and everyone got up to sing. James had no idea of the words and sort of moved his mouth as though he were joining in. The song finished, and it was time for the community news. Barbara and Joseph were getting married next month. Sandra's mother had died, though Pastor Michael assured everyone that they should be celebrating her return to Heaven. Something about a high school football game. Something something potluck Jesus something. James found it hard to focus. He and Isaac were sitting so close their sides were touching. His dick was so hard that he was worried it'd tip the Bible right off his lap.  
  
They rose to sing again. James kept his hands clasped in front of him in a way that he hoped made him look respectful and not like a pubescent boy hiding a boner. When the hymn was done they sat, then stood, then sat again. Finally, it was time for the main event.  
  
Pastor Michael sat down and another, older man got up to speak. Pastor Dave, the church's main speaker. He thanked Pastor Michael, propped his own Bible open to the passage they'd already read, and began his sermon.  
  
James tried really _really_ hard to pay attention but it wasn't easy. The preacher opened with a story about a boy who felt alone and close to ending everything. James was starting to feel sorry for the boy until he turned out to be Pastor Dave himself. He found God and yadda yadda yadda. The man moved on to some suicide statistics, then drug addiction. He informed them all that while some 'liberals' – he spat the word out like it was a slur – might tell you that therapy is the answer, the only true answer is God.  
  
His opening statements out of the way, Pastor Dave made his way through the Bible reading line by line, explaining what the writer (King Solomon, apparently) had _actually_ meant. Most of his ideas were a bit of a stretch; it was unlikely King Solomon had many strong opinions about the heroin epidemic sweeping through the nearby city. James turned to Isaac to tell him this but found that his friend was hunched down low over a notebook, soaking in every word. Fucking hell.  
  
Across the room, James's dad kept glancing back at him, concern in his eyes. James did his best to pull a “these people are crazy” face but his dad had already looked away at that point, engrossed in his own notes. As a therapist, they probably didn't quite have the same focus as Isaac's. James smirked, imagining his dad making a big long list of everything the preacher had gotten wrong.  
  
Four hours later – though the clock at the back of the room insisted it had only been thirty minutes – Pastor Dave finished by reminding everyone that wisdom and knowledge were meaningless, and true wisdom could only be found in Jesus. They all stood up for one last song about how fucked up people were. Isaac's handsome face had a screwed-up, pleading quality to it. When they finally sat back down, James noticed he was crying. Did he really think these awful things about himself? His heart lurched. Why couldn't Isaac see how special he was?  
  
After a few moments for silent contemplation, a melancholy song started to play from the speakers and a low hum of conversation started up. James caught the words “wretch” “sinner” and “guilt” in there. “Well, that was... interesting,” he said, turning to Isaac.  
  
“Interesting?” asked Isaac. His eyes were still glistening from the song.  
  
“Well...” started James. “I mean, I dunno if it made sense. Like, how'd he get all that stuff about drugs from some dead guy's existential crisis? And like-”  
  
Mercifully, Pastor Michael chose that moment to move into the pew behind them and put a hand on Isaac's shoulder. James bit his lip. He didn't think any of the Christian boys would like what he had to say about the sermon. But Isaac _had_ asked. “Isaac, buddy.” Pastor Michael's voice was a little too familiar, James thought. Like he considered himself one of the boys. “Your dad had a little chat with me yesterday. It sounds like you're struggling with some, ah... physical sin.”  
  
James raised his eyebrows at Isaac. This man was really going to talk about a teen boy's masturbation habits in front of his friends?! He wanted to say something, but Isaac had turned to listen to Pastor Michael with rapt attention. “Yeah,” he said sheepishly.  
  
“I tracked down this book before the service. I think you'd get a lot of use out of it.” He handed Isaac a thin black book titled _Every Young Man's Battle._ “Come and see me if you have any questions, okay? I'm here whenever you need me.” He patted Isaac's shoulder again and walked away to greet some older teens sitting a few rows in front of them.  
  
Isaac was already leafing through _Every Young Man's Battle_ looking pensive. Oliver got up to leave with the boy whose name James was pretty sure was Noah. Good riddance. Stretching back, James turned to his friend. “Good book?” he asked dryly. He just shrugged. James figured he probably didn't want to discuss his inner spiritual life with an outsider. “Well, I guess we'd better get some food before the Neanderthals finish it all.”  
  
“...Yeah,” said Isaac eventually, closing the book. He tucked it into a side pocket of his Bible case and left the room. “I'll just put this in the car,” he explained. “Grab me a plate, will you?”  
  
James nodded and filed out of the church with everyone else, looking for his parents in the crowd.


	5. Chapter 5

  
James found his parents, and together they followed their crowd to the back room to get lunch. They filled up their paper plates with all kinds of delicious-looking food. James had two, and quickly explained to the elderly woman in front of them that one was for his friend. “That's so sweet of you, honey. Bless your heart.”  
  
Not sure what to say to this, James just smiled and continued heaping pasta onto Isaac's plate. He hoped his new friend liked pasta.  
  
It turned out he did. He joined them just as they reached the end of the buffet and took one of the plates from James. The tears were gone from his face. James thought he looked much happier now the sermon was over with, but he couldn't be sure. Perhaps he'd been dreading the talk with Pastor Michael.  
  
“Hey, let's go eat out here,” said Isaac. James turned to his parents who were being interrogated about their previous church – or lack thereof – by the woman from the buffet. His dad gave a little nod, and the two boys made their way outside.  
  
“The food looks great!” James was desperate to have _something_ nice to say about Isaac's church. “Uh, I like the doors.” Idiot. He piled a forkful of pasta into his mouth to stop himself saying anything else dumb.  
  
“...Uh... yeah, they're pretty good doors.” From their patch of grass, the doors were in full view. Still open as last-minute stragglers made their way out for food. “Didn't know you were into architecture.”  
  
James put a hand over his mouth to avoid showering Isaac in pasta as he laughed. “Oh yeah,” he said once he'd swallowed his mouthful. “Doors, walls, ceilings.. that shit gets me hard as hell.”  
  
Isaac glanced at James's crotch for a moment, though it was currently hidden by the paper plate. “That explains a lot.”  
  
James glanced around to see if anyone was in earshot. They weren't. “Hey, you were practically humping your Bible in there,” he teased. “Pretty sure you're going to Hell for... uh...” He trailed off before he finished his sentence, but the damage was done.  
  
To his credit, Isaac laughed a little, but his face was serious now. “Nah, man, we all deserve to go to Hell. That's what's so great about Christianity!”  
  
“Uh... not sure I'm with you there. How's that great?” James placed his plate down beside him. He was a little hungry, but curiosity about Isaac's worldview overcame his hunger.  
  
“Well- okay, maybe I said that wrong. Let me start over. See, God loves everyone, and it makes Him sad when we do bad things. So He sent Jesus to die for us. And even though we all deserve to go to Hell-”  
  
“Wait, wait. We all deserve to go to Hell? You think I should be tortured forever? You think _you_ should be tortured forever?” James could hardly believe what he was hearing. This was a far cry from the 'love thy neighbor' type Christianity some of his friends back in New York had practised.  
  
“Yup,” said Isaac without missing a beat. He didn't seem particularly sad about it. Almost... smug? “But that's the great thing! Jesus came and died so that we don't have to go to Hell. If you ask Him to forgive you, then you'll go to Heaven!”  
  
James got his plate back onto his lap for another mouthful of pasta. As crazy as these people were, they made _really_ good food. “Okay, so if I went and killed someone then asked God to forgive me, I'd go to Heaven?” He glanced over at Oliver who was sitting with Noah and some other boys by the parking lot.  
  
“Well, you'd have to mean it,” said Isaac. He didn't seem to be impressed that James was trying to find loopholes in his religion. “God would know."  
  
“Sure...” he said. They ate their food in silence for a while. It was starting to get unbearable, so James spoke up. “So do you think, like, what we did was bad? Is it something you need to ask God to forgive you for?”  
  
Isaac didn't answer right away. He seemed to be thinking of the right way of phrasing it. “I mean... kinda, yeah. But like, I like you. And not just for that, like, you're funny, and cool, and nice, and...” He trailed off, looking a little sheepish. “I don't know.”  
  
James felt a surge of empathy for Isaac. He'd lived here all of a few days and it already felt stifling. Isaac had spent his whole life here. Until now, James hadn't understood why they called it 'the closet,' but it was an apt name. He felt trapped. “I'm sorry, man.” Isaac's face fell and he quickly corrected himself. “About the people here! Not, um... I mean... I like you too.”  
  
Isaac was smiling again. His plate of food sat half-eaten next to him on the grass. “Good.”  
  
“What can I say? I have shit taste.” James was eager to steer the conversation away from anything serious.  
  
“Yeah, you do have shit taste. What's that you were saying about Neanderthals yesterday?”  
  
James looked back at Oliver and his tribe. “Ssshh, they'll hear you! They might have a pointy stick.” He gasped. “They might even discover fire soon!”  
  
The two of them laughed so hard that Oliver did hear. He shot them a dirty look and said something that made his friends laugh too. Cruel laughter. They were laughing at them, not with them.  
  
When their food was done, they went back for dessert. There wasn't a lot left, they'd been talking for too long, but both boys helped themselves to generous servings of James's dad's fruit salad.  
  
“This is great!” said Isaac around a mouthful of watermelon once they were back outside.  
  
“I'll let my dad know.” James sat back on the grass and lay on his side, bowl of fruit in front of him. He felt a little like a Roman emperor enjoying a feast.  
  
“Yeah, how are your parents finding it here?”  
  
“They seem to be settling in okay. We still have a fuckton of boxes around,” James laughed. “Hey, if you ever wanna work out those big strong muscles, I'm sure they'd love to have help.”  
  
Isaac lay down opposite James, flexing a a bicep as he did. “What's the matter, can't lift a cardboard box?” he teased, but he looked pleased with the compliment.  
  
“Or maybe I just want to spend more time with you.” James felt strange saying those words. It was true, he did want to spend more time with Isaac. A lot more time. It just made him feel very vulnerable to admit it out loud.  
  
“I'd like to think it's both.”  
  
“You can think whatever you like.”  
  
“Fuck you.” Isaac laughed and finished his dessert, putting his bowl behind him so the two of them lay facing each other on the church lawn.  
  
“Wellllllllllllll,” started James, but decided not to finish that thought. He paused. “Hey, are you free later? I could use a big strong man around.” In my bed, he wasn't brave enough to add.  
  
Isaac looked behind James at the tribe of Neanderthals, who'd found a football somewhere and were tossing it around. James remembered hearing Isaac offer to help Oliver with homework but didn't want to remind him. It might come across as a little stalkerish. “Sure,” he said eventually, apparently deciding that Oliver could fend for himself today. “Let me go clear it with my parents. Wait, it's cool with yours, right?”  
  
James got to his feet, picking up their paper bowls and looking for a trash can. “Should be. Let me go check.” He found a trash can just inside the door to the side hall. Inside, his parents were deep in conversation with an older couple. He heard snippets:  
  
“...irresponsible to claim medical issues can be-”  
  
“...the Lord provides for those who-”  
  
He sighed. “Hey, Mom?” he said. His mother was sitting next to his father, looking strained.  
  
“Yes, honey?” She turned away from her husband, giving him a warning look. 'Be nice,' the look said.  
  
“Isaac's offered to help unpack, is it cool if he comes over later?” James was glad his dad was distracted. He didn't need these people to hear jokes about his relationship status.  
  
“Oh, that's so sweet of him. Sure, honey, as long as it's fine with his parents.” She glanced back at James's dad. The older couple didn't seem offended to have someone disagree with them. If anything, they were probably happy to have an outsider to preach at.  
  
James hurried away to tell Isaac the good news. He was back in the spot where they'd eaten, grinning. “I can come! I think Dad wants me out of the house anyway.”  
  
“Uh...” James started. Isaac was going to have some serious daddy issues later, if he didn't already. “Great!” Was it great?  
  
“Uh... are you cool if I come right from church?”  
  
“Sure!” He grinned. “You wanna go now? I think my parents are ready to go. Dad might have an aneurysm if he stays much longer.” Oops. Probably shouldn't have said that.  
  
Isaac paused for a second. James winced. He really had to start watching his mouth if he wanted... whatever this was to carry on. “Sure,” Isaac agreed eventually, ignoring the insult.  
  
The two of them went and rescued James's parents from the older couple (or was it the other way around?) and piled into the car. It was a short drive back home. The town wasn't particularly big; everything was a short drive from everywhere. James took off his tie and placed it down on the seat next to him. Isaac glanced nervously at James's parents and loosened his own tie, though he left it on.  
  
Before too long, they were pulling up the long driveway to James's new house. It still felt strange, though that was to be expected. He'd lived in his New York apartment for almost thirteen years, and in this one for a weekend.  
  
“You have a beautiful house, Ma'am,” said Isaac, stepping out of the car. “Would you like me to take that?” He motioned to the empty container that had been full of fruit salad.  
  
“Oh, thank you, Isaac. You're a sweetheart.” She handed it to him and unlocked the door.  
  
Inside, Isaac put the container down by the sink, stepping over several cardboard boxes in the hall. James followed him, tossing his tie down on the stairs. He hadn't really appreciated how hard it would be to pack up their entire lives and move halfway across the country. Logistically _or_ emotionally. Francesca, his best friend from back home, had been blowing up his phone all weekend asking for details. He'd told her about Isaac (though not about the kissing) and she was already coming up with ship names for them. Neither Iames nor Jsaac quite had the ring she was looking for, though.  
  
“I really appreciate this, Isaac,” said James's dad once he'd washed and dried the salad bowl. “Why don't the two of you go relax for a bit? We'll let you know when we're ready to get started.”  
  
“Yes, Sir!” Isaac stood weirdly straight with his hands behind his back as he spoke to James's dad.  
  
“Oh, just Steven is fine,” he said with a laugh.  
  
“Sorry S- uh, Steven.”  
  
James pulled Isaac upstairs before he could embarrass himself any further. “What was that about?” he asked, as soon as the door was closed.  
  
Isaac glanced around the room. It was a lot more bare-bones than Isaac's. James was about to protest that he'd been living out of boxes for the last two days but Isaac didn't mention that. “What? I was raised to respect my elders.”  
  
“It's not like they're gonna hit you.” He laughed to show that was supposed to be a joke, and Isaac laughed with him, though a little awkwardly. “So... how do you wanna relax?” James sat down on his bed and stretched out, kicking off his dress shoes. Isaac sat next to him, doing the same.  
  
“Well...” said Isaac, voice trembling slightly with nerves. “What do you do for fun?”  
  
“Uh... video games, sports. Instagram.” James pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened the app, scrolling through until he found one of the workout videos he'd been telling his friend about the previous day. “What do you think? Can you do that?” On screen, a well-muscled man was doing squats holding a set of weights. He was shirtless, of course, sweat dripping down his sculpted chest.  
  
“Sure I can! I'm just not warmed up.” He looked around the room, face slightly flustered. “He's pretty hot. You have good taste.”  
  
James set his phone down on the floor and shifted closer to Isaac on the bed. “I guess I do.” He put his hand up to rub the other boy's back, feeling his muscles through the shirt. Isaac turned to him and grinned. Now that they were alone, James had no reason not to kiss him. He leaned in and puckered up, planting a soft kiss on the other boy's lips.  
  
Isaac shifted around so that he was lying on the bed, and they resumed their half-wrestling half-kissing from the previous day. It was even better than James had remembered, and he'd 'remembered' it at least three times yesterday evening, and once this morning. Despite that, his dick was rock hard as they thrust their hips together. James lay on top of him, feeling Isaac's warmth against his whole body. Their legs wrapped around each other, hands exploring each other's chests.  
  
After a few minutes, James paused, grinning down at his friend. “Hey, I think I pinned you,” he teased. “Let's get that shirt off.”  
  
Isaac's smile widened. “Only 'cause I let you,” he said, but pulled his tie off and started to unbutton his shirt all the same.  
  
“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” teased James, though he sat up and took his own shirt off as well. “It sure is hot down here,” he said, as though that was the only reason he was undressing.  
  
“You're not so bad yourself.” Isaac tossed his shirt down on the ground next to the bed. James stayed where he was, sitting over the other boy and staring. His whole chest was tanned, like he'd spent the summer running around outside shirtless. James felt a weird stab of jealousy for everyone else who'd gotten to see. “See something you like?” he teased, those brilliantly white teeth flashing at him.  
  
By way of answer, James lowered himself down on Isaac and planted a kiss on his neck. He moved a little lower still, kissing along his collar bone. Isaac took in a sharp breath through his teeth but didn't move to stop him, so he went lower. James got as far down as Isaac's impressively muscular pectorals and then made his way back up to his face. His pants were tented up at the front. It was impossible to avoid staring. “Someone's having fun,” he breathed. His heart was racing so hard he thought it might explode.  
  
Isaac blushed and put his hands down to adjust his boner down a little, but it sprang right back up as soon as he moved away. “Yeah, sorry. My dad kept coming in last night so I didn't, ah...”  
  
James laughed. “Jesus, that's so creepy. What about the shower?”  
  
“Nah. I like to lie down for it.” Isaac had his hands behind his head, resting on the pillow. He looked so perfect, so relaxed. James hadn't felt this way about any of his crushes before.  
  
“You're lying down now.” James could hardly believe his daring. What was he suggesting? Blood pounded in his head... and his crotch.  
  
“Yeah, but I'm wearing pants,” protested Isaac.  
  
James gulped and moved his hands down his friend's chest, feeling the slight damp spots where he'd kissed. “We can fix that.” He continued to move down Isaac's stomach, resting on his belt. He was close to his prize now. So close. When Isaac didn't protest again, James undid the buckle of his belt, moving slowly in case he changed his mind.  
  
“Wait,” said Isaac, putting a hand down on top of James's. He'd been about to undo the clasp of his pants. Shit. He was going to choose _now_ to go all Christian on him? “You're wearing pants too,” he whispered.  
  
James grinned and unbuckled his own belt, before going back to Isaac's waistband. “We can fix that too.” Isaac lifted his hips to allow James to slide his pants down, and then off. He was wearing a pair of tight black athletic boxer-briefs with the Under Armour logo on the waistband. Now his pants were down, James felt a small swell of pride. Isaac's erection wasn't quite as big as his own.  
  
“Wait,” said Isaac again. “Um... can we... keep our undies on?”  
  
James nodded. “Yeah, for sure.” He wasn't sure he was ready to take things to the next level yet either. It was one thing seeing his friend in his boxers, but fully naked.. he gulped. He'd probably cum before they even got started.  
  
“Here, let me,” murmured Isaac as James struggled with the button on his pants.  
  
“You're just so helpful,” James grinned, moving his hands away so that Isaac could try. A few seconds later, his pants were sliding down his pale thighs, revealing a pair of bright red Calvin Klein briefs. His dick throbbed as he stepped out of his pants, kicking them to the floor with the rest of their clothes.  
  
“Well, you were having trouble,” teased Isaac, shifting across so that they could lie on their sides facing each other.  
  
James lay on his back and let Isaac climb on top of him. Their boners were pressing up against each other now, separated by two thin layers of fabric. “I can't help it! I was just so excited to see-” my boyfriend, he almost said. “Uh, to see you like that.”  
  
Isaac's legs felt so warm and strong against his own. They wrapped together almost instinctively and began to rub their bodies against one another. James's hands ran up and down Isaac's back before settling on his butt. He squeezed it a few times, and Isaac giggled. James could feel his breath against his cheek, hot and shallow as he humped his crotch.  
  
This felt so much better than it had yesterday. For one, they were wearing less, and for another they were going to keep going until Isaac finished. James let out an involuntary moan into Isaac's ear, then kissed him on the cheek. The weight on top of him was pleasant. Like a heated blanket. Isaac sped up, his breathing ragged now. James was close too. He closed his eyes, hands moving up from Isaac's butt to his back, holding his chest close against his own.  
  
“Fuckkk,” whispered Isaac, his voice shuddering. “Fuck. I'm gonna cum, dude.”  
  
James wanted to tell him that he was going to as well, but the words wouldn't come out. Instead, he let out a low moan as his dick twitched against Isaac's, shooting out the tiniest dribble of clear semen. He was breathing like he'd just run a marathon. On top of him, Isaac was still going, thrusting against him a few more times before he too came.  
  
They lay together for a few minutes after that, catching their breath and basking in the afterglow of their orgasm. “That was amazing,” whispered James.  
  
“Yeah,” agreed Isaac.  
  
“Better than doing it alone?”  
  
“Yeah.” Isaac leaned back so he could look into James's eyes. “So much better.”  
  
James was about to tell Isaac he should thank his parents for that when they heard feet pounding up the stairs. Isaac flinched and made to get his pants, but it was too late.  
  
“Boys?” came James's dad's voice. “Boys, can you come and-” He opened the door. “Oh. Oh, uh... oh.” He shut it again. “Uh... I'm sorry for not knocking!” he called through the closed door. “But we could use your help downstairs, once you're dressed?”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of this chapter dump. More will be added a little slower now that I've gotten caught up with what I've written. I hope everyone has been enjoying it!
> 
> I have another story to post, so if people would prefer I post that one chapter at a time I can; I'm not totally sure how things work on AO3 just yet.

Isaac's eyes were wide and frantic as he scrambled for his clothes. He got halfway through putting his pants on when he started to stumble.  
  
“Uh... I think those are mine,” said James. He was still lying on his back on the bed, feeling a little embarrassed but otherwise okay. It wasn't that he was dreading seeing his dad after this, but he'd rather delay it.  
  
“Shit!” exclaimed Isaac. “Fucking shit fuck!” He dropped James's pants and started to pull on his own. Once they were on, he grabbed the nearest shirt – which, fortunately, was actually his – and did up the buttons. He hadn't quite gotten them in the right holes so his shirt was a little lopsided, but he grabbed his tie and hurriedly put that on as well.  
  
James dressed a little more carefully, but Isaac was stumbling around so much in his panic that they were fully clothed around the same time. “Hey, it's alright dude. My dad doesn't care.”  
  
Isaac's eyes were still wide. “No, no no! They're gonna tell my parents! Fuck!” He was starting to cry.  
  
James shook his head and left the room. He was going to have to be the strong one here; Isaac seemed to be panicking too much to hear what he was saying anyway. “C'mon.” He offered his hand to Isaac, but he didn't take it. “Hey, uh, Dad?” he called.  
  
“Down here!” It was his mother's voice. Fuck, were they going to have to do this with both parents at once?  
  
James turned to Isaac. “You coming? I promise they'll be cool about it. _Promise_.”  
  
Isaac took a deep breath, wiping his eyes on the back of his sleeve. “They won't tell my parents?” His voice was choked. Terrified.  
  
“Nope.”  
  
Isaac didn't look like he believed James, but he followed him down the stairs anyway. They walked into the sitting room, looking like a pair of deer caught in headlights.  
  
“I'll get some drinks,” said James's mother, squeezing past them into the hallway.  
  
James gulped. He was about to say something when Isaac stepped forwards, hands behind his back in that weirdly submissive pose he'd adopted earlier. “I'm sorry, Sir. It was all my fault, I shouldn't have- uh... please don't tell my parents.”  
  
James's dad was seated in an armchair at the far side of the room. He sighed. “Sit down, boys. I'm not going to tell your parents.”  
  
Isaac instantly relaxed his shoulders and fell down onto the couch. James sat next to him. He wasn't sure whether he should put an arm around him or not. He decided against it.  
  
“Isaac, James has told me a lot of great things about you. He barely stopped talking about you yesterday.” He leaned forward, in full therapy mode.  
  
“Daad,” muttered James. This, more than anything else about the situation, made him blush.  
  
His dad ignored him, carrying on. “I just want to apologize again for not knocking. I'll make sure I knock next time the two of you are alone. Were you being safe?”  
  
Isaac looked from James to his dad. “What do you mean?”  
  
“Did you use a condom?”  
  
“Daaaaaaaaaaaad,” said James again, louder this time. He put his face in his hands in a childish attempt to hide from the conversation.  
  
“Well, did you?” His voice was stern now.  
  
“No, Sir,” said Isaac. “Um, we weren't- we didn't have-” he started, but was apparently also too embarrassed to explain. James moved his hands away enough to catch his friend's eye, but Isaac had his eyes locked on the floor.  
  
“Okay, good. I'll be sure to put some in James's room. If you ever need them-”  
  
“C'monnnn,” said James, speaking over his father. “Can we not do this now?”  
  
“-then they'll be there. No questions asked.” James's dad spoke as though James hadn't interrupted. “Isaac, I just want to reiterate that we're – that is, Lisa and I – are fully supportive. If you have any trouble at home, about anything, we're here for you.”  
  
“Yes, Sir,” said Isaac.  
  
James lowered his hands fully, placing them on his lap. His dad opened his mouth – possibly to tell him he didn't have to call him Sir – but closed it again. “How long have you boys been, ah... dating?” He said eventually, apparently deciding that was the right word for what they were doing.  
  
James and Isaac both looked at each other. “Are we-” said James.  
  
“Well, I mean-” said Isaac, at the same time.  
  
Both of them fell quiet.  
  
“Okay, not talked about it yet. That's fine. I don't want to pressure you.” He glanced at the door. James's mom had just walked in holding two cups of hot chocolate.  
  
“Here you go, boys. Steven, ours are in the kitchen. I think unpacking can wait a few minutes? While the boys talk?” She motioned with her head to her husband, ushering him out of the room. He nodded at the boys as he left, and shut the door behind him.  
  
“...Okay, so, that's my dad,” said James after an awkward silence. He took a sip of his hot chocolate. His mom had somehow found some little marshmallows in a cupboard somewhere. It was pretty good.  
  
“...wow,” said Isaac. “Uh... so like... he's not mad? Like, he actually isn't mad?” He took a sip of his own hot chocolate and grinned. “Shit dude, if that had been my dad walking in on us I don't know if you'd have survived it.”  
  
James laughed. “Well let's be careful when we're at your house. I mean- like...” He gulped down a little more hot chocolate to stop himself from talking. He didn't want to assume anything, not after the way Isaac had reacted to getting caught.  
  
“Yeah,” agreed Isaac.  
  
“So, um... what my dad said...” said James, that familiar redness returning to his face. “Are we... dating?”  
  
Isaac didn't reply right away. Probably trying to decide just how much forgiveness he was going to need for this. “Do you want to be?”  
  
James gulped. He hadn't even started his new school yet. Was he about to get his first boyfriend in some Bible belt town in the middle of nowhere? “Yeah. Do you?”  
  
“Yeah.” This time, Isaac didn't need to think about it. “I mean, my parents can't find out. Like, they _really_ can't find out.”  
  
James laughed. “Yeah, I saw their paddle. Can't let anything happen to that pretty butt, huh?”  
  
“It's yours I'm worried about,” grinned Isaac. “You should see my dad's gun collection.”  
  
“You should see _my_ guns,” bragged James, flexing his muscles. He was a little put off, though: he'd heard of dads threatening their daughters' boyfriends with guns, especially in towns like this. What would they do to their sons' boyfriends?  
  
“Okay, they are pretty nice.” Isaac leaned over on the couch and planted a kiss on James's cheek. “Still, I like you better without bullet holes.”  
  
“Thanks, I think. Hey, we should go help.” He took another sip of his hot chocolate. “You should probably fix your shirt, by the way.”  
  
“You just wanna see me take it off,” Isaac teased, but he unbuttoned it all the same. He made a big show of opening it up wide to show his muscles before rebuttoning it properly. James took hold of his mug of hot chocolate and carried it through to the kitchen, his boyfriend in tow. He felt so giddy that he didn't even care that his dad had seen them in bed together. Perhaps it would have been a little more awkward if he'd gotten there a few minutes earlier... He shuddered and tried not to think about it.  
  
“You boys talk things out?” asked James's dad, leaning against a counter with his own mug.  
“Yup!” James couldn't keep the smile off his face as he said it. “Uh, what needs doing?”  
  
“We thought you two could start in your room, James. We won't disturb you, but at least try to stay on task? I want to get most of this done before I start work tomorrow. It should all be done by your birthday, really.” His mom drained her mug – which had probably been full of coffee – and clapped her hands. “Let's get to it, then!”  
  
“Yes Ma'am,” he said in an uncanny impression of Isaac. The two of them went back upstairs, though James figured they should probably keep their clothes on. For now, at least.  
  
“So, your birthday's coming up, huh?” said Isaac on the way up the stairs. “When's the big day?”  
  
“Ugh, Saturday. But I'm not gonna know enough people to really have a party. Francesca wants to have one over Facetime but it's not really the same.”  
  
“Well you do have an incredible boyfriend you can hang out with.” Isaac shut the door behind him, leaving the two boys alone in James's room.  
  
“Yeah!” exclaimed James. The excitement was starting to really kick in: Isaac actually liked him! He knew that already, of course, but hearing him say the word “boyfriend” made it feel real. He kneeled down and opened one of the cardboard boxes. This one was mostly books. “You can meet Francesca! You'll love her. I think Chloe and Jonas will be there too, but they don't know about you yet.”  
  
“What does she know?” Isaac sat down on the ground next to James and started putting the books on an empty shelf.  
  
James sighed dramatically. “Well... she knows I met a really cute guy at soccer, and she knows I didn't shut up about you for pretty much the whole of yesterday.” He put another few books on the shelf and felt his ears prickle with embarrassment.  
  
“What'd you tell her?” Isaac was grinning now.  
  
“Uh... well, I told her you're funny, and hot, and good at _Injustice_. I told her about your parents. She thinks they're dicks, by the way. Um... can I tell her we're, like, dating?” He put a few more books on the shelf, ears burning.  
  
“Well I mean, you're the only person here she knows, so I guess, yeah.” He paused, taking a peek inside the book box. “How many books do you _need_? You're such a fucking nerd.”  
  
James threw one – a paperback copy of _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets –_ at Isaac. “Hey, at least I can read!”  
  
Isaac tossed it aside. “I ain't gonna read that shit, it's demonic.” James just shrugged. He wasn't the biggest fan of the writer any more either. They finished the books in relative silence. There really were a lot of them. James had donated most of his books to friends and thrift stores before the move. This was just everything he hadn't wanted to – or been able to – get rid of.  
  
James had wanted to set up his PlayStation next, but Isaac insisted they do clothes first. “Fine,” he sighed. “But only 'cause you're cute.” He ripped the tape off a nearby box marked “shirts” and started to put them away in his closet. There was only enough room for one of them to go there, so Isaac started on the box marked “pants/socks/undies.” He folded up the pants in a pile – though most of James's pants had already been taken out and worn – and then moved onto the underwear.  
  
“Dude, these are tiny,” said Isaac, holding up a pair of little black briefs.  
  
“Sure, but I look hot as hell in them,” said James with a grin. He kneeled down next to Isaac to help him out. “If you play your cards right, I'll show you sometime.”  
  
Isaac placed them gently on a pile. “I might take you up on that.”  
  
They made their way through the box. Isaac handled his underwear very slowly and carefully, examining each one as though he was deciding which might suit him best. “Perv,” said James, but he wasn't complaining at all.  
  
“Hey, I'm just getting a feel for your fashion sense.” He lifted a speedo patterned with the American flag. “You swim?”  
  
“Uh, yeah. Chloe got me those as a joke when I joined the swim team. There aren't reeeally any pools around here, though. I checked.” He was a little disappointed at this. Aside from watching his teammates swim – which was definitely fun – James loved to be in the water. Soccer felt like a bit of a consolation prize.  
  
“Yeah, but we have a few lakes. Why don't I take you to one for your birthday?” Isaac had moved onto the socks now, and was somehow working much faster. “They're usually pretty deserted.” He winked.  
  
“Sure!” James paused for a second. “And since it's for my birthday... you can wear this.” He tossed the American flag speedo at Isaac.  
  
“No way dude, I'll look so fucking gay! What if someone sees us?”  
  
James shrugged. “Awww, c'mon. You said it's pretty deserted. And it _will_ be my birthday present.”  
  
Isaac held the speedo up to his waist as though trying to picture how it might look on him. “Alright, fine. If anyone sees me though...”  
  
“They won't, it's fine!” James wondered if that was the case. Probably, right? Isaac could wear them under some shorts and only take them off if they were alone.  
  
“Who's the perv now?” muttered Isaac under his breath. James wasn't sure if he was meant to hear it or not, but he threw a balled-up pair of socks at Isaac all the same.  
  
Once the clothes were all sorted, they started on the bedsheets. There were already some _on_ the bed, of course, but the spares had to go at the top of the closet. Next came the assorted trinkets James had spent thirteen years accumulating. Well, twelve years, eleven months and twenty-five days, but who was counting? It felt strange to go through them with his new boyfriend, like it was somehow more personal than what they'd been up to on the bed. James squirmed a little as Isaac held up his teddy bear.  
  
“What's his name?” asked Isaac, placing it next to James's pillow.  
  
“Mr. Snuggles,” mumbled James. He looked down and fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, feeling very exposed all of a sudden.  
  
“N'awwwwwwwwwww, he's almost as cute as you.” Isaac patted Mr. Snuggles's head and then James's.  
  
“Fuck off.” James pushed Isaac playfully. For a moment, it seemed like they were going to start another round of their kissing-wrestling-humping game, but James turned away, sighing. “We should probably finish up here.”  
  
“Sure.” Just then, Isaac's phone started to buzz. “Fuck! I told Oliver I'd hang out today. Shitttt. Uh... I gotta take this.” He answered the phone. “Hey, man! What's up? Oh, yeah, I totally forgot about that, my bad. Uh... can we take a rain check? Uhh, yeah, I think he's really searching, you know?” He gave James an apologetic grimace at this part. “For sure, man. I'll check with Dad when I get home. It should be fine, though!” He hung up and collapsed down on the ground. “Fuck.”  
  
“What was that about?”  
  
“Ah, it's fine, Oliver's coming over tomorrow after school.” He put his hands on his face, rubbing slightly. As he did, his shirt came up at the waist, showing off a few inches of his toned stomach. James let himself stare openly. “Just... if anyone asks, you're really curious about Christianity, okay? I told people that's why we're hanging out so much.”  
  
James burst out laughing, halfway through opening another box of his stuff. “You know I'm not, right?” he managed to say. Tears were practically rolling down his cheeks. “Sorry, it's not funny, just...” He trailed off, trying to compose himself.  
  
“Yeah... I guess.” Isaac sat up, looking serious. “Just... alright. If I wear this, promise me you'll think about it, right?” He held up the American speedo, then tossed it to James, who stuffed it into his underwear drawer with the others.  
  
“Sure.” He opened his mouth to make a joke, but thought better of it. “It does seem kinda... well, crazy to me. Does that bother you?” Isaac shrugged non-committally in a way that told James it probably did. “I don't think you're crazy!” he added. “Just, ah... I guess we don't have to agree on everything, right?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Awesome.” James finished opening the box and riffled through it, trying to decide where everything should go.  
  
A few hours later, James's room looked a lot less bare-bones than it had when they'd started. A few swim trophies sat on top of his bookshelf under a picture of the team. Isaac spent a long time poring over it, though he insisted James was the best looking by far. An eclectic collection of board games found their home at the bottom of the closet, and his PlayStation – finally – got set up by his desk. There were still some photos of his friends from back home to go up, but Isaac's parents called him home before they got that far.  
  
“No PDAs at school, then?” teased James by the front door as Isaac got ready to leave.  
  
“Yeeeeeah, maybe not.” Isaac leaned in and kissed James on the cheek, which took James by surprise considering they were in the hallway. Perhaps the talk with James's dad had emboldened him somewhat.  
  
“Damn. Well, you'll have to come over sometime after school. I don't want to wait for the weekend to get my fix!”  
  
“You and me both, brotha.” He put his hand on the door handle but didn't open it, taking a few breaths to psych himself up.  
  
“C'mon man, I know it's the South, but really?”  
  
“Fuck you!” Isaac opened the door and, still laughing, walked down the driveway into the evening.


	7. Chapter 7

Isaac couldn't keep the smile off his face as he walked home. Not even the prospect of another awkward dinner in front of the TV with his parents could get him down. Was it his imagination, or were the birds singing a little louder than usual for this time of the evening? Was it unseasonably warm for September, or was that just the events of the day burning inside of him like a city on a hill.  
  
It didn't matter.  
  
What mattered was that James was into him. For the first time in his life – or at least, the first time since he'd realized why he enjoyed the locker room so much – Isaac didn't feel alone. James was like him too. More than that, James liked Isaac the same way Isaac liked James. If Isaac was a freak, then so was James. But James didn't seem like a freak. He was smart. He was funny. He laughed at Isaac's dumb jokes, and made even dumber ones back. He was beautiful.  
  
Isaac was still riding his high when he reached his house. “Hey, I'm home!” he called.  
  
“In here,” came a grunt from the sitting room. “Dinner's cold.”  
  
Dinner was the first test of his good mood. It turned out to be a plate of spaghetti that had long since gone cold. His mother was halfway through an offer to microwave it when his father cut her off. “No. The boy didn't come when he was called. I don't know why you have to baby him like this, Rebecca.”  
  
Isaac sighed. “Thank you for the food, Mom. I'm sorry I was late.” This was bullshit. He'd come home as soon as he'd gotten the text. Was it his fault James's house was a ten-minute walk away? Still, he sat and ate while his parents stared at the TV. They had been too lazy to turn on the lights even as the daylight had faded, but Isaac knew better than to switch them on. All of a sudden, his dad would decide that he liked it dark, and Isaac would be sent to bed with a sore butt and no food.  
  
On TV, a man in an expensive suit preached about the importance of purity. “Pay attention.” His father didn't turn his gaze from the screen as he spoke.  
  
“Yes, Sir.” Isaac choked down another bite of cold spaghetti as the preacher droned on.  
  
“...and the Romans were given over to their unnatural lust. Men with men. Women with women. Men with children. Goats, donkeys, pigs... it was a veritable orgy of sin! All because men gave up on God. So let me tell you, folks. If a liberal tells you he was born gay, he's lying! But if he tells you he didn't choose it, believe him. That's the awful truth of it, folks! It's not a lifestyle choice; it's a punishment.”  
  
Isaac looked down at his lap. Good thing it was dark, because his face was flushed bright red. Did his parents know something? Had he butt dialed them while he and James were making out? He felt sick to his stomach, and it was only partially because of the food. His feelings for James were a punishment from God? Well, it was pretty nice as far as punishments went, as long as James didn't dump him for a goat.  
  
The preacher moved on. He talked about masturbation (which led to homosexuality, since you were effectively having sex with a guy), pornography (which was inherently gay, since you were either watching someone the same sex as you or two people of the same sex), and premarital sex (which made you crave more and more until you resorted to homosexuality to get your fix). Isaac finished as much of his dinner as he could stomach, but his mind wasn't on food. This was absurd. The man had to know he was lying, right? Was it possible to be that wrong by accident? He'd liked guys before he'd ever played with himself, and he'd never even watched porn, let alone had sex.  
  
He glanced at his parents. His mom was looking at him anxiously, while his dad's eyes were still glued to the screen. “Ah... may I be excused, Sir?” he asked.  
  
“Mm.”  
  
Isaac took that to mean yes. He cleared up his food and headed up to his room. His good mood was still intact, burning stronger than the guilt. Careful to leave the door open a little, he fell onto his bed. Something was digging into his butt: _Every Young Man's Battle_ , which someone had put onto his bed. He sighed and pushed it to the ground. Maybe he'd read it sometime.  
  
He pulled out his phone, flipping through menus and wondering if it was too early to text James. He desperately wanted to, but James probably just wanted to relax a bit now his room was all set up. It was the same battle he went through whenever he thought about texting Oliver, too. Before he'd made up his mind, the screen lit up and a message came through.  
  
 **u make it home ok?**  
  
He grinned and replied. They spent the rest of the evening messaging back and forth about the events of the day. They were careful not to be too obvious – Isaac's parents sometimes checked his phone to make sure he was honoring God – but it felt like they were spies passing information back and forth behind enemy lines. It was a fun game that lasted well into the night. Isaac only stopped when his phone battery got too low, and he heard his dad stomping around outside to check he wasn't playing with himself.  
  
It was hard falling asleep without masturbating first, but Isaac managed it somehow. He dreamed of James.  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning, he got ready for school in something of a haze. James wanted to walk together, but Isaac usually walked with Oliver. He should probably get used to this; it was going to be strange to have a boyfriend that his best friend couldn't stand, and vice versa. In the end, he decided to walk with James. If Oliver had a problem with that, they could pretend they were talking about Jesus.  
  
He set off early to call at James's house before Oliver could catch up to him. He knocked on the door before brushing his hands on his sweatpants. They felt clammy with nerves. It was stupid, he knew James liked him, so what was he nervous about?  
  
His sin.  
  
James spared him any further guilt by opening the door, dressed in a pair of tan chinos and a tight blue sweater. “Hey,” he said as he stepped outside. Before Isaac could stop him, he wrapped his arms around Isaac in a hug.  
  
Isaac returned the hug. James's arms around him felt so good. He was warm, even thought his sweater. Isaac wished he could have held him like that all day, but they had to get to school. Reluctantly, he let go and stepped away. “Uh... we probably shouldn't do that outside.”  
  
James paused. He'd been about to lean in for a kiss, but he held back. “Yeah, sorry. So I guess we won't be holding hands?”  
  
Isaac grinned and hitched his backpack up his back as he set off down the driveway. “I'll make it up to you,” he promised. “Y'know, for your birthday.”  
  
“You better.” James grinned and followed him. He kept a few steps back. When Isaac turned to see where he'd gotten to, his blue eyes were locked on his ass. Isaac felt himself starting to turn red. “Y'know, you could get away with wearing _way_ tighter pants,” teased James with a lack of self-consciousness that Isaac found a little scary.  
  
“But where's the fun in that? You gotta work on your imagination.” He gave James a wink and tugged his backpack up to give him a better view. As he did, his insides churned with the same kind of strange warmth he felt when they kissed. Where was this coming from? All he knew was that he liked it.  
  
They talked about school the rest of the way. James was technically in the grade below Isaac, but because of some weird New York bullshit he'd been pushed ahead a grade, so they would have two classes together. Isaac wasn't sure how he felt about that. On one hand, any time he could spend with James was good, but on the other hand, his friends were _not_ going to like James. The soccer boys already didn't.  
  
The two of them arrived at school only a few minutes before the first class. Isaac pointed James in the direction of the Science building and set off toward Math. Math was uneventful, as was Gym. Thanks to the weekend spent wrapped around James in bed, Isaac found it much easier than normal to keep his eyes on the ground. It was like a valve in his brain had been released, and all that pent up lust had been let out.  
  
There was no assigned seating in English, so he sat down at the same table as James. Oliver and Summer sat opposite them. “Hey again!” she said to James, grinning at him. According to the boys on the soccer team she was hot, but Isaac just didn't see it. She wore braces that showed when she smiled, which was often. Her long auburn hair came down in waves over her shoulders. Oliver looked a little startled that someone like Summer would talk to someone like James, but he didn't say anything.  
  
“Hey!” said James, giving her an effeminate wave, his fingers waggling one at a time. Oliver downright stared. Summer didn't seem to mind, laughing a little as she waved in return.  
  
Oliver's mouth opened. He had a massive crush on Summer and clearly didn't approve of her being so friendly to a queer. Isaac was certain he was about to say as much, but Ms. Fields entered the room at just the right time to cut him off. The lesson started, and the four of them didn't have much time to talk about anything else. It was immediately clear why James had skipped ahead a grade; he answered all Ms. Fields' questions correctly.  
  
At the end of class there was a quiz that their table won by a mile thanks to James and Summer. If he hadn't already known James was gay, Isaac would have been incredibly jealous of her. Oliver – who seemed to think that James was both a raging faggot _and_ trying to steal his girl – barely spoke.  
  
After English came lunch. The three of them – Oliver having skulked off to join his other friends – made their way to the cafeteria. “What do you think so far?” asked Isaac, giving James a quick nudge. That familiar warmth spread through him from the elbow at the touch. He quickly moved away. Summer seemed cool, but he didn't think she was _that_ cool.  
  
“Yeah, no complaints.” James glanced around them. People thronged by them on the way to lunch. Isaac figured he'd probably hear any complaints later when they were alone. “I've heard some pretty bad things about the food, though.”  
  
Summer and Isaac both laughed. James's face fell. “It's fine,” said Isaac, catching Summer's eye and trying to keep a straight face. “Monday is pizza day!”  
  
“Alright,” said James, not sounding completely alright. “Well if you like it, it can't be that bad. You _do_ have impeccable taste.”  
  
Summer gave both of them a quizzical glance but didn't say anything. Perhaps she'd been about to, but Autumn appeared at her side and gave her a quick hug. “Ohmigod hi!” she practically squealed. “Have you met James yet?” Summer gestured towards James. “He's great!” Upon seeing James's face, Summer's expression soured, just a little. “Oh shut up, we've heard all the jokes.”  
  
Inside the cafeteria, they lined up for pizza, which Isaac still found disappointing even after eight years in the school system. They each got two small slices of bread covered in a thin layer of tomato sauce and enough cheese that Isaac could count the pieces on two hands. Just like last night, the shitty food couldn't dim his mood. Well, not too much, anyway.  
  
James seemed to be having a little more trouble. “Dude, you eat this shit?” he said around a mouthful of pizza. He took another. Clearly he was almost as hungry as Isaac.  
  
“You don't want yours?” asked Isaac. At the table, Summer and Autumn had turned to talk to some of their other friends who'd just joined them.  
  
“Fuck off,” laughed James. “But I like it better at your place.”  
  
Isaac opened his mouth, about to tell James that he'd had more fun _after_ the pizza, but couldn't think of a way to say it around all these people. “Yeah, it was probably the pineapple,” he said instead.  
  
“Wait, wait, wait, what?” said Autumn brusquely, turning to face them. He'd been right not to say anything too incriminating. “You're one of _those_ people, James? I don't think we can be friends.” She laughed and patted his arm to show she'd been joking. Isaac couldn't help wondering what she'd say if she found out they also shared a love of dick.  
  
Just like that, the conversation moved on. Isaac and James weren't quite touching, but Isaac could practically feel him at his side as they ate. It was like there was an electric current between them. Surely everyone could see it. He shuddered.  
  
The rest of the day was a bit of a blur. He and James managed to sit together for Geography, but he was with Oliver for Biology. That was probably for the best: the class was on evolution and he was a little worried James might have made a scene. As the school bell rang to mark the end of the day, he and Oliver made their way towards the school gate. Isaac saw James jogging along behind them trying to catch up.  
  
“Oh fuck, here comes the queer,” muttered Oliver.  
  
Isaac bit his lip. He'd been dreading this. “Hey, man!” he said as though he hadn't heard Oliver. James seemed to deflate a little, though. As James frowned, Isaac noticed just how pale his lips were. He wished he could kiss him.  
  
“Hey!” James gave a slightly hurt smile. Isaac wanted to hit Oliver.  
  
“Had a good first day?”  
  
Oliver took a step back as James approached, as though he might catch The Gay from him.  
  
“Yeah! Everyone seems really nice so far.” James glanced in Oliver's direction for a second. Isaac bit his lip to keep the laughter down.  
  
“Hey, I told you, it's great here!” Isaac thought about giving James a hug, but he could feel Oliver's eyes boring into him. Best not to right now.  
  
They said their goodbyes – James tactfully pretended to have forgotten something in his locker – and Isaac and Oliver made their way home. “I swear that faggot's been following you around all day,” said Oliver as they turned onto Isaac's driveway.  
  
“Huh?” said Isaac. He hadn't been listening. Oliver had been saying something about some paper he didn't want to write, but his mind was elsewhere. Normally he hung on his friend's every word, but his feelings for James eclipsed his little crush. What use was the dull, reflected light of the moon when he had the Sun?  
  
“That fucking gay kid. James? He's been stalking you all day.” Oliver spat James's name out onto the path as though it burned his tongue.  
  
“Nah, man, he's cool. You just gotta give him a chance.” Isaac was a little lightheaded as he unlocked the door. He wasn't used to disagreeing with Oliver. It was a weird feeling. He didn't want to betray James, but he didn't want to hurt Oliver's feelings either.  
  
Oliver didn't seem to be perturbed. He just shook his head and followed Isaac inside. “Whatever.” He didn't bring James up again, but he was more sullen than usual. Now that James had pointed it out, Isaac couldn't help but notice how apelike Oliver was. He grunted as he ate, and got most of his food down his shirt. Perhaps there was something to this whole 'evolution' thing after all.  
  
In all, Isaac found himself compulsively checking his phone. James hadn't texted. He bit his lip. James probably hadn't wanted to interrupt him and Oliver. Truth be told he welcomed the interruption. Had Oliver really been this critical of everyone? It was like the spell had been broken, and Isaac was seeing him for who he really was.  
  
“Dude. Dude, you there?” said Oliver, waving a hand in front of Isaac's face.  
  
Isaac sighed and turned to face him. He'd been thumbing through his phone, double-checking the last time James had been active on Instagram. Twelve minutes ago. “Huh?”  
  
“I said, are you coming to Youth on Wednesday?” Oliver was standing at the front door, ready to leave. “It's on pornography.” He gave a knowing smirk. “Sounds like you could use the help.”  
  
Isaac just shrugged. “Uh... sure, I guess. I'll see you tomorrow, man.”  
  
“Later.” Oliver left, not looking over his shoulder as he did.


End file.
